Rail-joint.



PATBNTED MAR. 28, 1905.

B. G. GRALAPP.

RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 24, 1904.

UNITED STATES Patented March 28, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

RAIL-JOINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 785,730, dated March28, 1905.

Application filed June 24, 1904. Serial No. 214,002.

T0 all whmn it nuty concern.-

Be it known that I, EARNEsT Gr. GRALAPP, a citizen of the United States,residing at Oleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, haveinvented a new and useful Improve ment in Rail-Joints, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention is an improved construction of rail-joint, the objectbeing to provide an exceedingly strong and durable joint by means ofwhich all jar of the wheel passing over said joint is entirely avoided.

Another object of the invention is to provide a joint which willaccommodate itself to varying temperatures; and a still further objectis to provide a joint of such character that the meeting ends of therails are securely supported and prevented from dropping or sagging.

WVith these various objects in view my invention consists in the novelfeatures of construction hereinafter fully described, and pointed out inthe claims.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is aperspective View showing the practical application of my invention. Fig.2 is a detail perspective view of the joint.

-Fig. 8 is a similar view taken from the opposite side. Fig. 4 is asection on the line 4 4t of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is adetail perspective viewof the combination rest and splice-bar.

Referring to the drawings, A indicates the meeting ends of therailroad-rails, which are recessed upon one side, as shown at A, saidrecesses extending through the head, web, and base of each rail. Therecessed ends of the rails are arranged end to end upon a rest orsplice-bar B, which is in the form of an I- beam and is provided with anupwardly-extending portion B at one edge, which extending portion isadapted to snugly fit the recess formed at the side of the joint, andthereby provide a solid tread portion extending entirely across thejoint and some distance to either side of the same. The recesses A areproduced upon the inner sidesof the rails, and an extending portion B isalso arranged upon the inner side of the rails, so that the tread of thewheel is bound to travel thereon in passing over the joint. Theextension B is provided with bolt-openings B and the rails are providedwith elongated bolt-openings A through which the bolts O are adapted topass, said elongated openings permitting the expansion or contraction ofthe rails due to changes in temperature. The top and bottom flanges ofthe beam B are provided with bolt-openings B and through which the boltsD pass, said bolts being passed upwardly through the bottom and topflange of the splice-bar B and up through the elongated openings Aproduced in the base-flanges of the rails, said openings being elongatedto also permit the expansion and contraction of the rails, therebycompletely relieving the bolts of strain.

In practice I prefer to form the splice-bar with a reinforced portion Ecoextensive with the upward extension B, thereby making an absolutelysolid bearing for the wheel as it passes across the joint between therails. The

splice-bar B is seated in recesses cut in the ordinary cross-ties, andthe upper face thereof is arranged flush with the upper face of saidties. By arranging the splice-bar in this manner a firm support is had,and inasmuch as the ends of the rails rest securely upon this splice-barit will be impossible for the ends to yield or sag vertically during thepassage of the trainthereover.

It will thus be seen that I provide an exceedingly simple, strong, anddurable form of rail-joint and one which will prevent a jar incidentalto the ordinary form of rail-joint.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a rail-joint the combination with the rails having their endsrecessed as described, of the splice-bar upon which the ends of therails rest, said splice-bar having an upward extension adapted to fitthe recessed portions of the rails, said bar having a reinforcementbelow the extension for the purpose specified.

2. In a rail-joint the combination with the rails having recessed ends,the webs and baseflanges of said rails having elongated boltopenings ofthe splice-bar comprising the top and bottom flanges provided withboltopenings, the upward extension at one side also provided withbolt-openings and the reinforced portion below the extension and coextensive therewith, all of said parts being arranged substantially asdescribed.

EARNEST G. GRALAPP. l/Vitnesses:

FREDK. HARRIS, A. F. CLARK.

